Jarrow Formulas® MK-7 (menaquinone-7) is an extract from non-GMO soybeans fermented with Bacillus subtilus natto. Vitamin K2 (menaquinones) is found in meat, eggs, and dairy products and is made by bacteria in the human gut, which provides a certain amount of the human vitamin K requirement. Vitamin K2 remains biologically active in the body far longer than K1. In contrast with the MK-4 form of vitamin K2, MK-7 is absorbed more slowly and is available to the body for longer and at higher levels.

The Rotterdam Heart Study, a large-scale, controlled clinical trial that tracked 4,807 participants for seven years, revealed that participants who ingested the greatest quantities of vitamin K2 experienced a better cardiovascular condition than people who ingested the least. High intake of vitamin K2 also corresponded to less calcium deposition in the aorta, whereas participants who consumed less K2 were more likely to show moderate or severe calcification.

Vitamin K functions as a cofactor for an enzyme responsible for carboxylation of specific bone proteins such as osteocalcin and matrix Gla protein (MGP), an inhibitor of vascular calcification. Impairment of the function of osteocalcin and MGP due to incomplete carboxylation results in an increased risk for low bone density and vascular calcification, respectively. Studies in which menaquinone-7 was used to counteract arterial calcification have determined that menaquinone-7 was more potent than menaquinone-4.